Becoming One with Christ: The Spiritual Presuppositions of Participation in the Mysteries

Exploring the spiritual presuppositions of participating in the Holy Mysteries and the importance of striving for holiness. The significance of obeying God's commandments and doing His will. The process of becoming a disciple of Christ and the significance of discipleship. The historical practice of separating baptism and other mysteries from the divine liturgy. The issue of baptisms in the Orthodox Church and the current pastoral crisis. Finding a spiritual father and their role in self-knowledge. The concept of miracles and a question about marriage. The implications of marrying a Muslim in the context of the church. The unique nature of Orthodoxy as a divine revelation. Loving our enemies and seeing God's image in them. The challenges of mixed marriages in the Orthodox Church.